Okay, so I’ve been getting into houseplants lately, and I picked up this cute little inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina, if you wanna get technical). It’s got these awesome purple and silver stripes, and I really didn’t want to kill it. So, I started looking into what kind of light it needed.
First, I checked a few websites, and most of them said “bright, indirect light.” Okay, cool, but what does that actually mean in my apartment? I don’t have a fancy light meter or anything.
My Experiment Begins
I decided to try a few different spots.
- Spot 1: Right next to my east-facing window. It got a good amount of morning sun, but it was pretty direct.
- Spot 2: A few feet back from the same window. Still bright, but definitely more diffused.
- Spot 3: Near a north-facing window. This one was much lower light overall.
I left the plant in Spot 1 for a week. The poor thing! The leaves started to look a little washed out, and some of them even got these crispy brown edges. Definitely too much sun.
Next, I moved it to Spot 2. This seemed to be the sweet spot! After a couple of weeks, the color was looking much better, and it even started to grow some new leaves. They were vibrant and the stripes were super defined. Success!
Just for kicks, I tried Spot 3 for a week. The plant didn’t die or anything, but it definitely wasn’t thriving. The growth slowed down, and the leaves seemed a little…blah. Not as much contrast in the stripes.
The Conclusion?
Bright, indirect light is the way to go! My east-facing window, but a few feet back, worked perfectly. I’m guessing a south-facing window would work too, as long as the plant isn’t getting blasted by direct sun all day. Don’t be afraid to do some trail and error! Every home is different. Just watch your plant and see how it reacts. It will for sure tell you!
